My Art Friends

Robert Markle

Robert was a great friend

An original in all reguards.

Robert Markle

Robert Markle, a brilliant Mohawk painter, teacher and musician taught at the art school His wife Marlene was often his model and promoter she worked at the Isaacs Gallery. He moved to Mount Forest and died in a truck accident in 1990 at age 54. A book on his life called Blazing Figures was published in 2010.

Footsie

Drawing of me by Bob - Love it

John Meredith (Smith)

Artists we never hear of anymore
John Meredith (Smith) I had many enjoyable evenings at the old Pilot discussing art with John and he did some great paintings
http://www.artnet.com/ar…/john-meredith/past-auction-results
John Meredith (1933 - 2000)
John Meredith was born in Fergus, Ontario, in 1933. Av Isaacs, who represented Meredith for over thirty years, noted that, “Meredith produced brilliant paintings that just popped with vitality. His colour sense was quite unique. His works on paper, both colour and black and white, were just as important. Meredith created lines that had an electric quality to them.” Meredith’s most noted works are colourful, large format paintings with recurring motifs and linear patterning.

John Meredith was the brother to celebrated artist William Ronald. John Meredith studied at the Ontario College of Art from 1950 to 1953, and had his first solo exhibition at the Gallery of Contemporary Art, Toronto in 1958. Av Isaacs of the Isaacs Gallery in Toronto represented John Meredith from 1960 until Isaacs Gallery closed in 1991.

John Meredith had an extensive exhibition history during his career. His agent, Av Isaacs of the Isaacs Gallery, Toronto, exhibited John Meredith’s works for over thirty years from 1960-1991. In 1974, The Art Gallery of Toronto held a solo exhibition of Meredith’s work, this exhibition travelled to other public institutions in 1975. In 1984-85, the Art Gallery of Ontario held another solo exhibition of his work.

John Meredith participated in many important group exhibitions at public institutions throughout his career. This included group exhibitions at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa in 1965, 1967, 1971 and 2005. John Meredith also participated in a number of group exhibitions in the United States during his career. John Meredith passed away in September, 2000.

Rodeck said she was a “little disappointed” in some of the bidding for John Meredith’s work, but by morning — “in the cold light of day” — was “celebrating” prices paid for Meredith’s art, which only a few years ago were fetching only a few thousand dollars.

“John Meredith has always been highly regarded by curators and galleries and we’ve always thought he was good, I don’t know why it has taken so long for buyers to say ‘We need to look at this painter,’” said Linda Rodeck, managing director of Sotheby’s Canada.

Rodeck said a Meredith painting was featured on the back cover of the auction catalogue after the auction house set a record was set last year for the Meredith painting, Rio, a large canvas that sold for $152,000.

Sotheby’s expected three of Meredith’s pieces to be sold for bids ranging from $10,000 to a high of $30,000 and all three met expectations with Sketch for Red Circle selling for $15,600, slightly above the estimate, Reclining Figure going for $20,400 and Untitled for $14,400, just shy of the pre-auction high estimate of $15,000.

Telford Fenton (1932-2004)

Artist we never hear much about
Telford Fenton (1932-2004)
I didn't know Telford very well met him at openings and the pilot and The Brunswick- He was mostly too drunk to talk to. I am sure I met him at his worst. but he had something and certainly a lot of friends. I did have a few conversations with him mostly troubled - Gay , broke frustrated etc. But when i saw his art I was amazed he really made some fine art.
I have a photo of him somewhere cant find it

Born in Chesley, Ontario in 1932, Telford Fenton was a daring and passionate artist whose art reached a maturity that secured him a serious position in Canadian art history. His energetic, spontaneous touch and strong colour sense combined to create painterly works that were like good improvisation; engaging, unexpected and strangely familiar.

Fenton came out of the second generation of Toronto abstract painters. His contemporaries, Graham Coughtry, Gordon Rayner and Richard Gorman are among those who inspired Fenton in his formative years. He was also influenced Abstract Expressionism, particularly the works of Jackson Pollock, and German Expressionism where the focus is on pure painting and the evocation of an emotional response.

Fenton experienced a major hiatus in his artistic career from about 1962 through 1971 during which he drank heavily, suffered a heart attack and underwent open-heart surgery. He was able to overcome this personal crisis to resume his career and carried on to produce a remarkable body of work.

Fenton’s paintings speak of pure joy and demonstrate a constant reaffirmation of life. He was a master draftsman, handling oil paint with remarkable virtuosity, literally drawing with his colour-loaded brush. His bold colours were often squeezed directly from the tube. His compositions were strong and lyrical. Fenton was versatile in his subject matter whether he painted still-life, landscapes, dramatic New York scenes or vibrant portraiture. Fenton’s paintings can be found in private collections in Canada, the United States, Brazil, Great Britain, and Australia and in the collections of Jackson Pollock, Donald Trump, Patrick Watson and Donald Sutherland.

Tom Hodgson

Artists we dont hear of anymore

Tom Hodgson was a legend a great Artist and Illustrator and teacher. He could draw with both hands at the same time too. And he gave great PARTY for a while he and kenny wells gave parties at his studio every weekend. For me these were 2 preludin parties. (preludin was prescription speed that kept you peaked for about 4 hours) Tom was always a joy to meet he was always excited about something and made everyone feel good.

Tom Hodgson, the Canadian abstract artist, was born in Toronto, Ontario in the year 1924. Like many other members of Painters Eleven he began his arts education at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto.

Hodgson was one of the Painters Eleven who took more than his share of abuse during the their many exhibitions and reviews. Unfortunately, Hodgson’s work of that period is still greatly under appreciated. He was an action painter, in the truest sense of the word, particularly during the 1950's and early 1960's. He was also one of the first in the group to begin to paint on very large canvases. His typically immense works painted during this time period were primarily visual statements in pink, orange and red color palettes, a palette which was initially inherited from Cahén but then clearly made his own.

Tom Hodgson passed away in Toronto Ontario February 27th, 2006